Coin separator for fare boxes



May 6, 1952 s. SIERNOS COIN SEPARATOR FOR FARE BOXES Filed Dec. 31, 1948 INVENTOR. STA 'LEY SIEIZNOS ATTORNEY Patented May 6, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COIN SEPARATOR FOR. FARE BOXES Stanley Siernos, Newark, N. J.

Application December 31, 1948, Serial No. 68,652 4 Claims. (01. 133-3) The present invention deals with a coin-separator for fare boxes and more particularly with a coin-separator for fare boxes in public conveyances.

111 operating a Vehicle for public transporta= tion, the operator usually has the additional task of attending to the handling of the fares. This involves separating a mixture of different coins by hand, after the coins have been deposited into the fare box and operating the vehicle at the same time in order that coins of proper de-' nomination are readily available for change purposes. The act of performing such dual operation at the same time is hazardous in that the operator is apt to remove his sight from the road, while the vehicle is in motion,- for a longer period of time than is conducive to public safety. Furthermore, such dual operation, when the public conveyance is, for example, a bus, involves removing at least one hand of the operator from the steering wheel for a considerable time. Such act by the operator, together with the aforementioned act of directing his sight away from the road while sorting coins, contributes to the possibilities of an accident.-

It is one object of this invention to provide a coin-separator for fare boxes in public conveyances. It is another object of this invention to provide a means by which the sorting of coins by an operator of a public vehicle is facilitated to the extent that greater attention may be directed to operating the vehicle. It is a further object of this invention to provide a means for eliminating the sorting of coins by hand by an operator of a public conveyance and to thereby contribute to public safety. Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the description and drawings hereinafter following in which:

Fig. 1 is a top view in perspective of a coinseparator according to the present invention, and

Fig. 2 is a side view of; a modification of a coin-separator according to the present invention.

The present invention provides a coin-separator for public conveyances which is adapted for insertion into afare box and which facilitates the operation of the conveyance, e. g. a bus, by the fact that coinsof like denomination become readily available to the operator without his resort ing to sorting coins by hand; The coin-separator of the present invention consists preferably of at least three sorting elements which are positioned to form inclined slides or chutes and each of which are provided with apertures. The uppermost chute or slide is provided with apertures of a size that will retain a coin of substantially large diameter and allow coins of smaller diameter to pass through the apertures. The next lower chute is provided with apertures that will retain coins of a next largest diameter and allow coins of a smaller diameter to pass through the apertures. The third, or lowest, chute is not apertured and retains coins which have passed through the apertures of the other chutes. The apertures are preferably, but not necessarily, circular.

Referring to Fig. l, a mixture of coins of different denominations, e. g. dimes, pennies and nickels, after having been deposited into a fare box, fall directly onto the inclined slide l, which is provided with sides 2 to form a chute. Since the chute is inclined, the coins will pass over and through the apertures 3, except for the coins of large diameter, e. g. nickels, which will be retained in chute l and accumulate at the lower portion thereof in the vicinity of the end plate 4. The coins of smaller diameter, e. g. pennies and dimes, pass through the apertures 3 of the inclined slide I onto the inclined slide 5, which is provided with sides 6 to form a chute. The inclined slide 5 is provided with circular aperture 1 which retain the next largest size coins, e. g. pennies, and allow the coins of smallest diameter, e. g. dimes, to pass through. The next largest size coins, e. g. pennies, in a. manner similar to the largest size coins, e. g. nickels, accumulate at the lower portion of the inclined slide 5 in the vicinity of the end plate 8. The lowest inclined slide 9 with sides 10 receives and retains the coins of smallest diameter, which accumulate in the vicinity of the end plate H. The apertures of the upper two chutes are arranged in rows spaced horizontally parallel and vertically staggered so that coins passing between apertures of one row will fall through the apertures of the next lower row. The end plates 4, 8 and I I may be outwardly and angularly disposed, e. g. at an angle of 90 degrees, with respect to the inclined slides I, 5 and 9 respectively, or they may be angularly disposed at any angle as long as coins are thereby retained in the chutes. The prime purpose of the end-plates is to retain coins and yet be so disposed as to allow the operators hand to easily remove the sorted coins. The three chutes are supported in proper position by the support [2, which may be perpendicularly parallel to a fare box on one side 13 so that the side l3 may abut against or be removably attachedto' a correspondingly perpendicular outer side of a fare box. However, the support may also be so dimensioned that it can enter into a side opening of the fare box to allow only portions of the three chutes to remain on the outside of the fare box. The uppermost chute is provided with a length or extension M which projects rearwardly beyond the support I! and which has dimensions suitable for fitting into and securing to a complementary chute of the fare box through which coins fall onto the extension [4 and slide over the apertures 3 of the uppermost chute. All chutes may be movable with respect to the support 12. However, I prefer to provide only the uppermost and the lowest chute with means for permitting movement, the middle chute being fixed in position. For example, a portion I5 of the support [2 may be curved or otherwise formed to provide a slide for the flange i6 which thereby permits movement of the chute so that the distance between the end plate 8 of the next lower chute becomes adjustable. Such adjustment provides the proper spacing for the hand of the operator for removing coins. However, the next lower chute normally projects outwardly beyond the uppermost chute. In addition to the provision of such adjustment, I position the middle chute so that the vertical distance between the upper two chutes is greater than the vertical distance between the middle and lowest chutes and which vertical distance is appropriate for the easy entry of the operators hand into the middle chute. The lowest chute may be made movable, for example, by forming or bending the lower end of the support It! to mov ably support the lowest chute. Since the smallest diameter coins, e. g. dimes, which are retained in the lowest chute are the least used for fares, the lowest chute need not be spaced for the entry of the operators hand, but merely made slidably movable so that it may be operated, for example, as a drawer, when the removal of coins therefrom becomes necessary.

When the coin-separator is secured to a fare box in a vehicle and when the vehicle is in motion, the motion of the vehicle will, with the aid of gravity, cause the coins deposited to move toward the end plates of the coin-separator. When the coin-separator is secured to the fare box of, for example, a bus, the vibration of the bus engine will supplement the force of gravity to cause the coins to move toward the end plates of the chutes. Although the chutes are inclined, they are not inclined to the extent that the sorted coins will slide freely or rapidly toward the end plates, because such free sliding or rapid sliding may cause the sorted coins to bounce or strike the end plates with a force sufficient to cause the coins to fall out of their respective chutes. The chutes, therefore, are inclined preferably only to a degree which, with the aid of gravity and the vibration of the bus engine, or the motion of the vehicle, will enable the coins to slide over or through the apertures or to work their way through the selective apertures. Should the uppermost chute contain coins other than the largest diameter coins, or should the next lower chute contain coins other than the next largest diameter coins, which may not have been separated by the force of gravity in conjunction with the vibration of the vehicle engine, then it is only necessary to agitate or cause a movement of the accumulated coins with the fingers to insure a complete separation of coins. Fig. 2 more particularly illustrates the inclined position of the chutes of the present invention.

4 In addition, Figure 2 shows a modification of Fig. 1 whereby the end plates 4, 8 and l I of Fig. 1 are replaced with cup-like receptacles I1, l8 and 19, which may be integral with their respective chutes and which are adapted to hold a larger quantity of separated coins. The support l2 may be provided with an extension 20 on its lower portion and integral therewith to assume a substantially L-shaped structure to more securely support the lowest movable chute Hi. The extension M of the uppermost chute is illustrated in secured position with respect to a complementary chute 2| of the fare box 22. Although the support [2' is here illustrated as being outside of the fare box 22 it may also be so dimensioned that it enters the side opening 23 of the farebox thereby allowing only the cup-like receptacles [1, I8 and I9 to remain outside the fare box.

In accordance with the advantages of the coinseparator hereinbefore described, it is apparent that the invention not only contributes to safety in the operation of a public vehicle but also provides a means by which the operation of the vehicle is made easier and the coins for change purposes are made more readily available to the operator.

What I claim is:

1. A coin separator for a fare box, comprising in combination a plurality of parallel inclined chutes positioned one above the other and upright means for supporting said chutes, each of said chutes except the lowest one having coin selective apertures formed through a bottom thereof, a coin retaining plate on an end of each chute, said end plate being angularly and outwardly disposed for ease in removal of selected coins, said supporting means having an upright edge engageable with a side of a fare box, an uppermost and lowermost chute being slideably secured to said support, said uppermost chute having a portion extending rearwardly beyond the said upright edge of said support, said extended portion being engageable with a complementary discharge chute of a fare box and being slidably adjustable so that the said upright edge fits flush against a side of a fare box when said extended portion is in secure engagement with said complementary chute, the bottom of said uppermost chute being apertured from its coin retaining plate to the said upright edge of said support, a fixed intermediate chute projecting forwardly and outwardly of said support beyond an upper chute, said intermediate chute being vertically spaced from said upper chute to permit the removal of selected coins by hand therefrom, said lowermost chute being an inclined drawer.

2. A coin separator for a fare box according to claim 1 wherein said coin separator comprises three inclined chutes and which inclined chutes are inclined only to a degree which necessitates the vibration of a vehicle engine with the aid of gravity to cause the coins to slide over the apertures of the two upper chutes.

3. A coin separator for a fare box in a vehicle comprising in combination three inclined parallel chutes positioned one above the other and upright means for supporting said chutes, each of said chutes except the lowest one having coin selective apertures formed through a bottom thereof, a coin retaining cup-like receptacle on an end of each chute, said supporting means having an upright edge engageable with the side of a fare box, an uppermost and lowermost chute being slideably secured to said support, said uppermost chute having a portion extending rearwardly beyond the said upright edge of said support, said extended portion being engagea-ble with a complementary discharge chute of a fare box and being slidably adjustable so that the said upright edge fits flush against a side of a fare box when said extended portion is in secure engagement with said complementary chute, the bottom of said uppermost chute being apertured from its cup-like receptacle to the said upright edge of said support, a fixed intermediate chute projecting forwardly and outwardly of said supportbeyond an upper chute, said intermediate chute being vertically spaced from said upper chute to permit the removal of coins by hand therefrom. said lowermost chute being an inclined drawer.

4. A coin separator for a fare box in a vehicle comprising in combination three parallel inclined chutes positioned one above the other and upright means for supporting said chutes, each of said chutes except the lowest one having coin selective apertures formed through a bottom thereof, a coin retaining cup-like receptacle on an end of each chute, said supporting means being dimensioned to enter a side opening of a fare box and only the cup-like receptacles projecting outside of said fare box, an uppermost and lowermost chute being slideably secured to said support, said uppermost chute having a portion extending rearwardly beyond said support, said extended portion being engageable with a complementary discharge chute of a fare box, said uppermost chute being slidably adjustable so that a fixed intermediate chute projects forwardly and .outwardly of said support beyond an upper chute, said intermediate chute being vertically spaced'from said upper chute to prevent the removalof coins by hand therefrom, said lowermost chute being an inclined drawer.

STANLEY SIERNOS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 291,986 Conklin Jan. 15, 1884 326,866 Harcourt Sept. 22, 1885 790,572 Hickman May 23, 1905 967,667 Powell Aug. 16, 1910 990,909 Sattley May 2, 1911 990,911 Sattley May 2, 1911 1,149,615 Batdorf Aug. 10, 1915 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 221,091 Great Britain Sept. 4, 1924 718,645 France June 15, 1931 

